Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

W. WATKINS.

THILL COUPLING.

No. 358,708. Patented Mar. 1, 1887 Ilnrr'n \VILLIAM WATKINS, OF WATERLOO, IOIVA.

THlLL-COUPLlNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent. No. 358,708, dated March 1, 1887.

(No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WVArKINs, 0 Waterloo, in the county of Black Hawk and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Thill-Oouplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention is an improved device for at tachiug thills to axles; and its object is to provide a coupling and anti-rattler, to operate when the shafts are in use, and also to provide means by which, when the shafts are not in use, they may be held up out of the way.

My invention therefore consists in the devices and combination of devices hereinafter described and particularly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows the parts and their position while the shafts are in use. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the position of the shafts when not in use.

In these drawings, A is the piece which is secured to the axle, and is fastened thereto by clips in the ordinary manner. This piece A is formed with a hook-shaped end, B, to which the thill-iron is adapted to be secured. The thilliron E, as shown, is bifurcated, and the ends of the prongs are connected by the bolt 1, and

1 this bolt may be put on after the thill is made, or

maybe formed integral therewith, and when the thill-iron is put in place, the bolt bears in the hollow of the hookshaped end. A set-screw, O, is passed through the lower part of the thilliron, and has attached to its inner end a metallic plate, D,which plate it is adapted to adj nst. It will be understood that it is not necessary that the metallic plate should be attached to the screw, as the screw maysimply bear against said plate. The hooked end B of the piece A is notched at the point a, near its upper end, and from that point to the end is reduced in thickness. Below this point a the portion 11 of the hooked end of the said piece A is the arc of a circle struck from the center of the bolt 1 as a center; and when the thill-iron is put in place, by loosening the set-screw the said iron is allowed to move freely in its bearings, or by tightening the said screw the metallic plate D is forced against the curved portion b of the piece A, so that the bolt 1 is crowded against its bearing, and thus rattling is prevented.

It will be readily seen that since the part b is the arc of a circle, the same force will be exerted upon the bolt 1 to prevent rattling, no matter at what point of the circumference of said are the pressure is applied.

If desired, a piece of rubber or other elastic material may be placed back of the metallic plate D, in order to prevent rattling on that side of the hooked end B.

When it is not desired to use the shafts, in order to hold them out of the way it is simply necessary to raise the thills to such a point that the plate D will no longer bear against the part b, and then the metallic plate will bear in the notch a, and thus prevent the thills from falling. It will be observed that with my device the thills are very easily removed or attached.

To the head of the screw I have attached a spring, 2, adapted to fit into holes 3 in the thill iron, thus preventing the screw from turning or getting loose.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an anti-rattler thilLcoupling, the com bination, with the piece A, having a hooked end provided with an inclined slot and with the lower portion of the outer periphery formed on a curve, of the thill-iron having an opening adapted to the hooked end of the piece A and a bearing-plate in the rear of the opening adapted to bear against the curved surface of the piece A, substantially as described.

2. In an anti-rattler thill-coupling, the combination, with the piece A, having a hooked end provided with an inclined slot and with the lower portion of the outer periphery formed on a curve, of the thill-iron having an opening adapted to the hooked end of the piece A, and a bearing-plate in the rear of the opening adapted to bear against the curved surface of the piece A, and means for adj usting the bearing-plate, substantially as described.

3. In an anti-rattler thill-coupling, the combination, with the piece A, having a hooked end provided with an inclined slot, and with the lower portion of the outer periphery formed on a curve, and with a notch in the upper portion thereof, of the thill-iron having an opening adapted to the hooked end of the piece A, a bearingplate in the rear of the IOO opening adapted to bear against the curved riphery and notched upper portion, the thillsurface of the piece A, and means for adjnstiron carrying the set-screw, and the adjustable ing the bearing-plate so that it will engage plate bearing against the portion 12, whereby,

with the said notch, substantially as described. upon raising the thill-iron to such a height 20 5 4. In combination with the hooked end of that the plate no longer bears upon the porthe piece A provided with the inclined slot, tion I), it will bear in the notch a, and thus and having the curved portion 1) and the notch hold the thills in their upright position, sub

a, the thill-iron provided with the bolt adapted stantially as described.

to bear in the inclined slot, the plate D, bear- In testimony whereof I have signed my name 25 I 0 ing against the portion 1), said plate being adto this specification in the presence of two subjustable by means of the set-screw 0, wherescribing witnesses.

by rattling is prevented, all substantially as v describei XVILLIAM WATKINS.

5. In an anti-rattler thill-coupling, in com- Witnesses: 15 bination, the hooked end of the piece A, hav- J OSEPH VVATKINs,

ing the curved lower portion of the outer pe- M. T. OWENS. 

